The Boundaries of Humanity
by moonwatcher13
Summary: How do you define a human? Is it what, when and where; things defined from the moment of our birth? Is it how and who; deeds accomplished and lives impacted? Or is it in the why; the driving force and burning question that motivates us all? (Human Crescent Rose, Medieval!AU,) [based off Bonpyro's stuff (tumblr)]
1. Desperate Solutions

**So as said above, this is based on Bonpyro's Medieval Au stuff. You should REALLY check it out, and his Monochrome stuff, it is wonderful.**

 **This will not be updated like my other stories. Just a bunch of smaller pieces detailing Ruby and Crescent Rose on their adventures, with some oh so delicious Monochrome on the side.**

 **More story recommendations for those that are interested.**

 **Dilation by Jefardi (adorable Ladybug, bunch of one-shots, 30000 words)**

 **Catnip by** **FiercesomestDefenestrator (wacky and hilarious Monochrome, updates weekly, 80000 words)**

 **Rennants Reclaimer by** **Hysterical Clerical Hijinks (Ladybug and Freezerburn, beyond amazing, 100,000+)**

* * *

The smell of ash filled the air, accompanied by the sounds of metal striking metal, a warning sign to any potential customer that the blacksmith was occupied. Hammering out the last dent, Ruby lifted the molten sword held in her right hand and ran her eyes over it one last time, looking for any more flaws or imperfections. Finally satisfied, she placed it in a water barrel to cool, only just noticing the tiredness of her muscles and emptiness of her stomach. She had always been good at focusing on her work, but never to this extent.

Standing for a moment, her legs quivering in protest, she wandered outside to find the sun still high in the sky, signaling it was just past midday. A wide smile graced her face: she had finished with the days orders with plenty of time to spare, giving her more than enough to finish setting up. Assuming things went well, tonight was the night her problem would be dead forever, dead and buried.

You see, for the longest time Ruby had had an issue, an impossibly large issue that was ruining her very existence: she was bored. Bored with her job, bored with her life, bored with everything. Her life had been full of adventure when she was living with Taiyang and Yang. But her father was a general in the King's army, which kept him away from home for long periods. And Yang had left a year ago, seeking adventure and excitement, away from their tiny village. Ruby, 14 at the time of Yang's departure, had stayed behind. She had claimed it was because she wanted to become a master blacksmith, but they all knew the real reason. Her mother's grave was there, and she was not yet ready to let go.

So Ruby's life had settled into a routine, a rut so deep she was certain she could go through an entire day with her eyes closed and not give herself so much as a paper cut. Wake up, craft some new weapons for the army or fix whatever the townsfolk had broken this week. Study magic whenever she had nothing to work on, avoid blowing herself up again, and wait for one thing or another to happen. Day in and day out, it never shifted.

Eventually she would run out of tasks and would inevitably find herself back home, polishing Crescent Rose, her oldest and most prized possession. She spent countless hours modifying, sharpening or just staring at the scythe. It was her closest friend, her only constant companion throughout the years. And while spending time with the scythe never failed to enthrall her, the rest of her waking hours were spent in mind numbing tedium.

Every so often, normally on a particularly boring day, where not a single customer came in and all her orders were already filled, she decided she had to time to modify Crescent Rose. Again. Normally she began by removing the various modifications and additions, leaving only the metallic core: the rarest of all metals, archon sky iron. It never failed to take her breath away, as perfect as the day she had first crafted it, her mother's final gift.

Years ago Summer Rose had stumbled across the smoldering remains of a ball of black metal that had fallen out of the sky. She and her Uncle Qrow had dragged it back to his workshop where he discovered the metal's wondrous properties. Harder than the strongest castle forged steel, it was more flexible then supple leather, making it perfect for weapon crafting. The trick to melting it down had taken almost a year to discover, but eventually Qrow had created Summer a weapon worthy of legends. A massive longsword that was almost as tall as she was and sharp enough to cut through a dragon's hide like a hot knife through butter. She had called it Thorn's Embrace, and it had helped her become a warrior known far and wide among the four kingdoms.

Unfortunately not even a warrior such as Summer could win a fight against the plague, and she eventually succumbed, entering Death's realm like so many before her. Unwilling and unable to wield the weapon himself, Qrow had passed Thorn's Embrace onto Ruby. But the sword was far too large for a short 12 year old to handle, so with her uncle's help Ruby had melted the sword down and fashioned herself a scythe. From the moment she had finished the last cooling treatment the weapon was perfect, sharp enough to draw blood with the lightest touch. And no matter how much practice she did, no matter how many trees she cut down or boulders she sliced through, it never lost its edge.

Wrapped in red leather and metal turned grey with ash, the scythe was a terrifying sight to behold. Black death coated in the ash of the damned and the blood of her enemies, or that's what people whispered behind her back. But Ruby found her scythe attractive, beautiful even, a whirling storm of fury in her hands that somehow made her grin in delight. But she could only practice or polish for so many hours a day, which in her mind was never enough. She needed a change, the more drastic the better.

So when she had found a spell that could bring inanimate objects to life several months ago, she had to try it out immediately. And sure enough, it worked. Sort of.

She had first tried the spell out on her favorite hammer, expecting it to gain the ability to talk. Instead it turned into an adorable dark grey corgi, who immediately proved itself it be an asset when it dragged a still burning hot poker out of a bale of hay. The dog now lived at the foot of her bed, and while Zwei had eased her boredom for a while, eventually it had come back full force.

She had then applied the spell on various other tools and weapons, which resulted in several soon to be dead fish, two chickens, three cows and almost a dozen pigs. After asserting that the animals were fully alive, and safe to eat, Ruby found herself with several pounds of delicious bacon and a hundred questions that needed answering, most of which had to do with why she kept getting the same four animals no matter what object she used the spell on. Unable to translate the rest of the text she had deciphered the spell from, she had no choice but to seek professional assistance. Which unfortunately came in the form of the world's strangest mage, her friend Penny.

Penny had been her first friend in the village, but she had moved away years ago after her father had successfully gotten a position in the Royal Magic Academy. She and Ruby had kept in contact through letters, first delivered by hand, which took months at a time. But Penny had created a spell that made paper fly, and from then on their communication took only 3 days to get from Ruby's tiny little village of Patch all the way to the Remnant's capital.

Ruby had sent Penny the text, expecting the problem to take the genius mage-in-training days, maybe a few weeks at the most. That had been 7 months ago, and she had almost given up hope when Penny's response had come.

 _Dearest friend Ruby_

 _Salutations, I hope you are doing well. Things are unchanged here, boring as always. There has been talk of movement along the border with Vacuo, but as of yet nothing has happened. Father is fine, still over protective as always. I'm hoping to convince him to let me out of the city so I can come visit you, but no promises._

 _Regarding the problem you sent me: you're spell was written in the language of the Blasted Lands, a society that existed long ago and has long since passed. Records were scarce, but I managed to translate most of the text, with the relevant passages to the spell written below. From what I can tell, the spell was originally meant to provide for food during famine times, which is why everything was turning into "delicious meaty goodness". In order to fully bring the object to life, several conditions must be met, which are listed below._

 _The object must be of great importance to the caster_

 _The caster must have a firm mental image of what they desire_

 _The spell must be cast under the light of a full moon_

 _The accompanying casting symbol must be used, with candle's burning at each point. The candles must contain the user's own blood, a few drops at least. Something to tie the user to the circle._

 _There was also a paragraph at the bottom that could not be translated fully, though it spoke of a warning concerning the spell. SO PLEASE BE CAREFUL. And please don't "forget" to respond this time._

 _Your friend, Penny_

Ruby re-read the letter several times, her smile growing wider and wider. She had almost a week until the next full moon, more than enough time to prepare things properly. _As for the important object,_ Ruby thought, _it's Crescent Rose, it's always been Crescent Rose._

She had spent the last week drawing the circle, making the candles and preparing everything else, sacrificing sleep to get it done. But in the end it would be worth it: she would finally have a solution to her boredom. But more than that she would have a friend that wouldn't abandon her, or leave her, or get too caught up in their own lives to check in on her. Someone to help ease the void that her mother's death had left, a void that even now she refused to acknowledge.

The daylight came and gone, and by the time the moon was fully risen she was finally ready. The spell channel, a massively intricate creation compromised of several intertwining pentagrams, hexagrams and no less than 5 concentric circles. 24 pink candles, signifying that they contained more than "a few drops" of Ruby's blood to ensure things went right, sat at all the necessary points. In the exact center of the circle stood Crescent Rose, stabbed into the ground at a perfect right angle.

Ruby sat in a smaller, scaled down version of the casting circle, focusing her mind on what she wanted to achieve and reciting the spell to make sure she got it perfect. She knew first-hand what happened if you recited even the most basic spells improperly. Years ago she had "borrowed" one of Qrow's spell books, hoping to impress the other kids in the village by casting a fire spell. But her youthful arrogance and enthusiasm made her reckless, so she made several errors when reciting the spell, which magnified its effects. Thankfully there were several adults close by, and they managed to get the blaze under control before her uncle's house had completely burned down.

The memory was one she dredged up often, a constant reminder to ensure she never made that mistake again. Seeing the moon was almost in positon, she focused on emptying herself of her fear of failure, sharpening her mind until it was as sharp as Crescent Rose itself.

 _I am afraid of failure_ Ruby thought _not because of the failure itself, but because it will mean nothing will change. That my life will remain the same despite my best efforts. I fear that I will weaken at the wrong moment, and make a mistake. I do not fear the consequences of the mistake, death or otherwise, for at this moment anything besides success is not acceptable._

She finished her inner talk just as the moon hit the proper position, and without another word began to chant. The words of the spell rolled off her tongue, strong and true, the seconds turning to minutes as she ceaselessly chanted, simultaneously breathing and speaking like her uncle had taught her. Each line seemed to take forever to say, yet before she noticed she was at the last few segments, which were the most important. Now was when her concentration had to be prefect, otherwise failure was guaranteed. She formed the image of what she wanted in her mind even as the chanting continued, the two parts of her mental state working in perfect harmony.

 **Tolka vuu hess t'Kah'hn V'Dania**

 _I want someone who will stay by my side, who won't leave me alone again_

 **Vaar shou-desth oua qi-el harba voudas**

 _Someone strong, indestructible,_

 **Soudeg s'veth cal-shoull ve-edeth ni v'calsa**

 _A warrior no one can beat_

 **Pleston gashitah hetra-scrateva gaina shouda**

 _Someone like…Mom_

 **Va desz na shouen plessada vu she'naivu IA'NI'KAI.**

 _S_ he screamed the last word, pouring out the last of her energy, thankful that she was finally done. For a moment nothing happened, and she was worried she had failed, tears already forming at her eyes. Then Crescent Rose began to glow, burning brighter by the second until Ruby could not look at it directly. She covered her eyes just as a massive burst of light expelled from the weapon, lighting up the entire clearing and terrifying any villagers still awake. Eventually the light died down, allowing Ruby to open her eyes.

 _Apparently the translation was a little off, Ruby thought,_ looking at her success in stunned awe. She had expected a sharp, lithe girl approximately her own age, based off Crescent Rose's current design. Instead she got a fully grown female who looked to be in her mid-20s, and who was without a doubt a warrior of the highest caliber. There was no other way to put it: everything about her bespoke of raw fighting prowess and lethal skill. Large calloused hands, rippling muscles that strained under her ebony skin and a stillness about her that bespoke barely restrained violence merely waiting for a reason to be unleashed.

It was her face, however, that Ruby's gaze lingered on the longest. Her mouth was a firm line, hard and set, not betraying the barest hint of a smile, something that Ruby immediately wanted to change. But the rest of her face gave the impression of gentleness. Wide cheekbones, the barest hint of dimples around her mouth, and crinkles around her eyes that only came from constant laughter made her seem soft, kind, almost in direct contradiction to the power and danger that her body signified. _She's beautiful_ Ruby realized, her face growing hot as she broke out in the barest hint of a blush.

But when Ruby looked into her eyes, everything else fell away, her entire world made meaningless by the power of Crescent Rose's gaze. She looking at Ruby in a way that made her shiver in what she thought was fear, her entire body heating up as she shook like a leaf, barely able to control herself. It was a gaze of control and domination, akin to that of an alpha bear or wolf. It would broker no disobedience, no challenge, and held no mercy.

Unable to stare for a second longer she looked down, discovering that Crescent Rose was also partially clothed. Her lower body was clad in a pair of red leather pants, the exact same color as the leather binding's that had previously encircled her weapon. Her torso was bare, ebony skin unblemished by scars or damage, her only article of clothing being a series of dark grey chest wraps. Her hair was blood red, long enough to reach her lower back and bound into a tight ponytail.

While Ruby could do nothing but continue staring, Crescent Rose began moving. After a moment Ruby realized she was experimenting, testing the limitations of this new body. Apparently she was not only strong but flexible, a feat Ruby ascertained first hand when Crescent bent down so far her head almost touched her toes.

An involuntary intake of breath alerted Crescent Rosy to Ruby's continual existence. She moved instantly, walking towards Ruby, her gaze focused on the smaller girl before her. She walked right up to her, golden eyes burning impossibly bright. And then she kneeled. This goddess of battle, who could probably break Ruby in half by sneezing on her, kneeled in front of her, and after a moment said "Master."

* * *

 **So, I do hope you enjoyed! Again, check out Bonpyro's stuff for the visuals of all this, his drawings are awesome!**

 **Feedback is always appreciated, good, bad or anything in between. Hope you guys enjoyed!**


	2. Growing Pains

**Remember how I said I would only do this infrequently at best. Well, I lied.**

 **Hopefully getting a chapter of Foundation of Humanity out later tomorrow or Monday evening.**

* * *

It was mere moments from sunrise, the faintest rays of dawn just barely visible on the horizon. All around the clearing, the sounds of the woods coming alive could be heard. Birds began their early morning songs, their various chirps waving together into a musical masterpiece only they understood. The rustling of small woodland creatures moving through the undergrowth as they began their daily foraging could be faintly heard if one strained hard enough to listen, along with the initial movements of their predators as they searched for breakfast. Normally the clearing was uninhabited at this time of day, but it currently had two human occupants, one in the center and the other at the outer boundary, both eagerly awaiting the approaching dawn.

Ruby, despite her dislike of waking up early, always had a fascination with the moments of twilight, where the last dregs of night ended with the slow, ceaseless rising of the sun. The quiet transition from darkness to light, as if the world itself seemed to come alive, never failed to give her a sense of inner peace. It reminded her that for another day the darkness of the world had not won, that light was once again gracing them with its warmth and comfort.

 _And now I have someone to share it with_ she thought, looking towards the clearing center where Crescent Rose stood, stretching in the morning light. For the past few days she had been coming here with Crescent to test her various abilities and determine her limits. And so far, Crescent Rose had exceeded every expectation, performing well beyond the limitations of a normal human. Ruby had been forced to redesign the experiments several times already due to the ease at which Crescent completed seemingly impossible tasks.

Today was what hopefully looked like the last day of experiments, covering Crescent Rose's battle capabilities as best she could. At first she had wanted to try sparring, but Crescent had immediately refused, unwilling to even consider the possibility of harming Ruby. So instead, Ruby had spent several hours assembling a large amount of wooden dummies for Crescent to reduce to powder.

Having finished her stretching, Crescent Rose walked over to Ruby and asked "So what are we doing today Master?"

Ruby sighed for what felt like the thousandth time and said "Ruby, my name is Ruby, not Master. And today we're testing how well you can fight. So first things first. See those dummies over there?" Crescent Rose nodded, so Ruby continued "When I say go, dismember them as fast as you can. Ok?"

Crescent Rose nodded again, and without a word moved towards her assigned task. As soon as Crescent Rose 's back was turned Ruby let out yet another sigh, once again frustrated with the situation at hand. _This wasn't what I wanted,_ Ruby thought. _I was looking for a companion, someone I could talk to, have fun with. Not a mostly mute guardian who seems completely emotionless._

Seeing that Crescent Rose was in position Ruby yelled out go, half watching her turn the mannequins to dust, half reflecting on the last few days. It had been a week or so since Ruby had succeeded with her spell, and the results continued to frustrate her. _She refuses to call me anything but Master, she shies away every time I go near her for some reason she refuses to cuddle with me like she used to arhghghhgh._ Ruby took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. Her last thought before she fully focused on Crescent Rose's destruction of undeserving pieces of scrap wood was _I wish she would smile._ Because in the entire week Crescent Rose had been human, she hadn't smiled once.

Within a few moments Crescent Rose had finished her task, and sure enough there wasn't a single training dummy that hadn't been smashed, kicked or punched into at least four different pieces. In total over 100 mannequins were annihilated in just over a minute, a feat that left Ruby feeling admiration and fear in near equal amounts. _And that was all bare handed_ Ruby thought _. How dangerous would she be with a blade?_

Ruby called Crescent Rose over and explained the second test of the day: boulder smashing. Within a half mile of the clearing was several large rocks, each as wide as Ruby was tall. Standing in front of the largest one Ruby turned and looked at Crescent Rose, who was standing behind her, expressionless as always, and asked "See that boulder in front of me?"

"Yesssss" Crescent Rose said, not quite sure where Ruby was going with this.

"Well it was making fun of me, so I want you to teach it a lesson. TURN IT INTO RUBBLE!"

Without a word Crescent Rose moved forward, willing to defend her master's honor even if she didn't quite understand how a rock had insulted her, unless it had suddenly gained the ability to speak. And considering that she was a piece of metal-turned-human, stranger things had already happened.

Ruby watched as Crescent Rose stood in front of the rock, her entire body relaxed. Then without warning her entire body went rigid before exploding into movement, her limbs becoming a whirling storm of destruction. Fists and feet striking out in seemingly random patterns and combinations, no longer fluid but full of fire, of purpose and anger focused on a killing point. Within seconds the boulder in front of her was demolished, cut into pieces by Crescent Rose's impossibly strong strikes. As soon as the rock was effectively powerderized Crescent Rose stopped her flurry of attacks, resuming her at rest position in front of the pile of rubble.

All Ruby could do was stand there and stare, a small line of drool escaping from her mouth. Crescent Rose was faintly sweating from exertion. Her muscles were even more defined then normal, their outline made all the more obvious as they strained against her ebony skin. _She's like a living goddess_ Ruby thought, unable to tear her eyes away from the beauty that stood in front of her.

"You're perfect" Ruby said out loud, when it was meant to stay in her head, though thankfully Crescent Rose didn't seem to hear her. Breathing a sigh of relief Ruby called Crescent Rose over and explained the final test of the day: Ruby would be attacking her, and all she had to do was avoid the attacks as best she could. Since the goal was to merely test her reflexes and dodging abilities, not actually harm her, Ruby had crafted a practice scythe. It had the same physical characteristics as Crescent Rose's former form, with one key difference. It was completely and utterly dull, the edge so tarnished that Ruby could shove her hand across its length and she would not bleed. But it was still metal, and getting hit by it would hurt.

The whole time she had been talking, Crescent Rose had remained perfectly still, the world's most realistic statue. She showed no fear, no hesitation, trusting that her master would never actually harm her.

Ruby proved her wrong on the very first swing. Obviously Crescent Rose had forgotten the speed at which Ruby could use a scythe. The sound of dull metal impacting with all-too-human flesh filled the clearing, along with a sharp intake of breath as she grimaced in pain. She was still unused to the sensation, so even though it was in reality a minimal amount of damage, to her it felt like her arm was being broken. She stared at Ruby, the faintest hint of betrayal in her eyes.

Ruby, unfazed by her hurt look, looked back at her blankly and said "I warned you I wouldn't hold back," her arms already rearing back for another strike. This time Crescent Rose saw the attack coming, and responded appropriately, ducking under the blade as it passed harmlessly over her. And from there the one-sided assault commenced.

Ruby's attacks started out simple, giving both her and Crescent Rose time to properly warm up. Overhead slashes and diagonal cuts were obviously telegraphed, easily avoided by Crescent Rose even when Ruby swung at her top speed. For a few minutes they danced back and forth, their motions easily mistakable for a violent sort of waltz, every swing or slash by Ruby provoking the same dodge or evasive maneuver from Crescent Rose.

Apparently satisfied that Crescent Rose had the basics down, Ruby let out a short laugh of joy, then began attacking in earnest. She swung the scythe in continuous diagonal slashes and horizontal cuts, aiming at any and all parts of her body at random, her attacks without any semblance of a pattern. Her outpouring of violence was wild and elegant, each attack flowing seamlessly from one to the next. Her continuous assault forced Crescent Rose to focus to her utmost to avoid the scythe, the blade sometimes coming within inches of her skin. But as Ruby continued her attack Crescent Rose grew faster and faster, and within a few minutes she was able to read and avoid Ruby's attacks. Not easily, but the chance of her getting hit by one of the younger girl's attacks was now minimal. Or so she thought.

Ruby backed away for a second and pulled up the hood of her cloak, covering her entire head, her face now nothing but a dark shadow. And Crescent Rose felt a spike of fear run up her spine. Whenever Summer had been in a particularly difficult fight, or had wanted to terrify someone, she pulled up the hood of her cloak. It transformed the warm and motherly figure into a terrifying figure, a warrior that walked hand in hand with death themselves. And Ruby had apparently inherited her mother's chilling demeanor.

The red cloaked reaper walked towards her, Death's scythe in its hand. And like a plague it struck, each swing of the scythe a potential killing blow. The reaper targeted all of her vital areas, from the arteries on her arms and legs to her neck, paying particular attention to her face and especially her eyes. Crescent Rose was forced to dodge with a sense of blind desperation, barely avoiding being struck down or maimed.

After a few minutes she felt herself slowly losing ground, unable to keep pace with the ceaseless onslaught of attacks being leveled against her. Barely avoiding yet another strike that would have blinded her she jumped back several times, putting a sizeable distance between her and the monster that stood before her. Taking a deep breath, Crescent Rose surrendered herself to the feeling of fear that was pouring over her, and drowned herself in its depths. She felt herself sinking deeper and deeper, the fear threatening to crush her. And then it was gone, and suddenly she was free again, the chains and shackles of terror turned to dust and air.

Laughing, she walked back towards the red reaper, now suddenly not so frightening. The reaper struck and she barely evaded, moving just enough. A second blow came, then a third and a fourth, and each time she avoided it by the skin of her teeth. Gradually she let herself drown in the flow of her movement, weaving back and forth. She became water: there was no other way to describe what she was feeling. Her motions became wonderfully fluid, evading the scythe flawlessly, not a single twitch out of place. Each evasion, each minimal avoidance of death, brought her closer and closer to the enemy before her.

Soon she was within arm's reach of her assailant, and a few moments after saw her chance. Reaching her arms past the scythe's oncoming strike, she grabbed the hood with one hand and pulled it back up around Ruby's head while her other hand gently pushed her backward.

Ruby, now sitting on the ground with a marvelous expression of shock on her face, took a moment to recover. Then she started giggling, which turned into full on laughter as she rolled on the ground, holding her shaking sides. It took her almost a minute to control herself enough to stop laughing and stand up, an impossibly wide grin on her face.

Because during the fight, despite the dangerous and potential deadly attacks Ruby was aiming at her, Crescent Rose had smiled.

* * *

Back at the cabin, Ruby had one final test to administer: a blood test. There were several spells that could test a person's blood for sickness or other issues, and thankfully they were basic enough that Ruby could cast them easily.

As the sun began to set, Ruby had one unofficial test that she wanted to administer, something she grimly called the Humanity Test. To fully ensure that Crescent Rose was 100% human, she needed to test her not only on the outside, but the inside as well. Only this time, the tests were magical, not physical.

Of all the spells that currently existed, the two most prolific were attack magic and healing magic, though Ruby mostly knew the latter. She was a good enough fighter that her time was better spent practicing with her scythe then learning the more complicated forms of attack magic. Healing magic, on the other hand, she considered vital to know and spent most of her study time learning it's complexities.

Among the moderate level spells, several existed to test a person's blood for any issues, disease or otherwise. In Crescent Rose's case, Ruby wanted to know if her blood was truly human. If it was, then everything was fine. If not, well that didn't bear thinking about. But as she approached Crescent Rose, her mind was still fraught with worry, which was dangerous for the task at hand.

Several days prior she had forged a simple knife, after which countless hours had gone into sharpening it, refining the cutting edge until it was as sharp as Crescent Rose had been. She had dropped it by accident, expecting it to land harmlessly against the top of her workstation. Instead it had landed blade first, cut straight through the heavy wooden table where she did most of her crafting, and sunk into the stone floor up to the hilt, the blade a few inches away from her foot. She had slowly picked it up, breathing shakily as she realized how close she had come to losing a toe or possibly her entire right foot.

But now she was calm and careful, mindful of the danger the blade in her hand posed. She carefully approached Crescent Rose, who had one hand outstretched, palm up like she had been instructed. Wordlessly, Ruby drew the knife across her palm, being careful to apply the lightest pressure she could, hoping that she didn't cut too deep.

Instead, nothing happened. Crescent Rose's hand remained unmarred, so she tried again, a little harder this time, and again Crescent Rose was not cut. Abandoning her attempts to be gentle Ruby shoved the blade against her skin, muscles faintly straining with the effort, and really cut at her. And once again, nothing happened.

Now frustrated and more than a little worried, Ruby considered giving up. But without warning Crescent Rose grabbed at Ruby's free hand with hers, stopping her from moving. Wordlessly she motioned for Ruby to give her the knife, and after a moment she complied. Slowly, tantalizingly slowly, Crescent Rose positioned the blade against her left forearm. Taking a deep breath, she cut, using all of her considerable strength in an attempt to make herself bleed.

This time their efforts bore fruit as a red lien appeared on her ebony skin and a small amount of blood began to slide down her arm, gravity pulling it downwards until it started dripping onto the floor. Ruby quickly muttered the testing spells above the cut, anxious for the results. Finding nothing wrong, she looked up and said "Congratulations, you're 100% human. Maybe a little tougher than the rest of us, but still just flesh and blood in the end."

And for the second time that day Crescent Rose smiled, though unlike the first this one was painful to look at. It had the appearance of a happy smile, but the joy did not reach her eyes. Instead they were clouded with pain and a sadness Ruby could not identify. But whatever it was, it was clear that Crescent Rose was suffering, and that suffering had only been made worse by their last experiment.

/

As the last rays of light faded and the day turned to night, Ruby found herself locked in yet another battle with Crescent Rose, this one a contest of wills instead of weapons. Because Ruby had one more issue with Crescent Rose, one that had been occurring every day since the weapon had first become human.

Ruby wanted to cuddle, and Crescent Rose refused. The first time it had happened, Ruby had been rendered speechless. She had slept with Crescent Rose next to her in bed with years when she was just a scythe, and had assumed that they would be continuing that arrangement. Instead, she had to endure sleeping alone in a bed that now felt far too large for her. And Crescent Rose was stuck sleeping in a corner on the floor, a spare blanket her only source of warmth and comfort.

For a week she had tried everything she could think of to change Crescent Rose's mind. But no amount of begging, cajoling or pleading was enough to make her come within 5 feet of the bed. So tonight she was going to try a new tactic.

As per their now standard routine, Ruby was sitting on the edge of her bed, brushing the last tangles out of her hair before bed. The motions were soothing, calming, a habitual routine that her mother had done for her every night as a child. She had fallen out of the habit for a while, but had started it again after her death. No matter how bad her day had been, the routine never failed to relax her, and tonight was no exception.

Once she was done she stood up and walked over to Crescent Rose, who until that point had been sitting in the corner of the bedroom, watching Ruby like a hawk. She considered it her duty to protect Ruby, and spent every waking moment fulfilling it with an iron focus. So when Ruby did not lie down and go to sleep, but instead started walking toward her, she instantly knew something was wrong.

Ruby kneeled down in front of Crescent Rose, her face gravely serious, and said "You're cuddling with me tonight."

It was not a question, but Crescent Rose responded "No." Her tone was hard and set: she would not budge on this issue.

But this time Ruby would not be denied. She stood up, for once towering over Crescent Rose and shouted "Why not? You do anything else I ask, no matter how dangerous or ridiculous. If something went wrong today you could have died, and yet you agreed without a moment of hesitation. Why is this the only thing you won't do?"

Crescent Rose stood up as well, forcing Ruby to look up to properly see her face. She expected to see anger, but instead Crescent Rose almost seemed frightened. Her tone, however, was emotionless as she said "Because I won't."

"Won't what, cuddle with me. Touch me?" Ruby screamed, her anger quickly reaching a boiling point. "What are you so afraid of?"

"OF HURTING YOU" Crescent Rose screamed back, unable to contain herself any longer. For a second her words hung in the air, before she continued "Ruby, I'm a weapon. Summer's weapon."

Her tone was pained but serious, especially the particular emphasis she put on Summer's name. "I have cut down more people then I care to think about, more than you can possibly imagine. My entire purpose, my reason for existing, is to kill. That's all I know, and that's what I'm good at."

She paused for a moment, and looked at her hands. The way she was looking at them made Ruby want to cry: it was a look most people reserved for criminals: murders and rapists. Crescent Rose looked at her hands like they were guilty of committing the most heinous crimes imaginable, and she hated them for it.

Eventually she looked at Ruby, and what Ruby saw there prompted her to start crying. Crescent Rose's eyes were filled with pain, an endless wellspring that threatened to drown her in despair. Crescent Rose took a deep breath, and in the quietest whisper imaginable said "What if I hurt you too?"

Unable and unwilling to contain herself any longer Ruby launched herself forward, latching onto Crescent Rose's midsection. She wrapped her arms around as tightly as possible, soaking the taller woman's chest in her tears. Slowly, hesitantly, as if she was afraid of what would happen, she felt a pair of arms gently envelop her, lightly hugging her back.

Eventually Ruby stopped crying enough to speak, her words interspaced with sobs as she said "You won't. You're not a weapon anymore, you're human." She took a breath, desperately trying to keep herself under control, then continued "You're not cold, sharp metal anymore. You're warm, so very warm, with a heart pumping blood through your veins like the rest of us. You're strong, and gentle, and" she paused for a second, looking deep into Crescent Rose's eyes as she said "and I know you would never, ever hurt me."

Crescent Rose said nothing, but instead tightened her hug, holding Ruby against her. Ruby started humming, hoping that her tune imitated the song her mother sang to her as a child, because it never failed to calm her down. Gradually she felt Crescent Rose fully relax against her, tension bleeding out of her body. For what felt like an eternity they stood there, silently supporting each other's pain. Ruby reveled in their shared warmth, the feeling of safety and security she felt in Crescent Rose's arms, unwilling and unable to let go. On the other hand, Ruby helped Crescent Rose feel human, made her past fade away as she simply enjoyed the happiness she felt in the present.

Eventually Ruby began to grow tired, and an involuntary yawn escaped her now wide-open mouth. Without prompting Crescent Rose carried her to bed, gently depositing her down lying down next to her. While the bed was more than wide enough the pillow was severely lacking, barely wide enough to support both of their heads. Ruby solved this issue by shuffling herself down until her head was level with Crescent Rose's chest. She snuggled close, wrapping her arms tightly around Crescent Rose, who gently enveloped her in turn.

For a few moments they lied there, relaxing in each other's arms. Right as Ruby was about to fall asleep Crescent Rose said "Crescent."

"Hmmmmmmmm" Ruby asked sleepily, forcing her eyes open to see Crescent Rose staring back at her sleepily.

"Just call me Crescent from now on. Crescent Rose takes too long to say."

"Ok" Ruby said, followed by a huge yawn, which brought a smile to Crescent's face. She closed her eyes, and was asleep within moments, the events of the day taking more of a toll on her then she let on. Ruby stayed awake for a few moments, committing every detail of her sleepy smile to memory, before allowing herself to join her in sleep's fantastical realm of dreams.

* * *

 **I'm sure there are grammar errors, and I will hopefully get to them tomorrow, I promise!**

 **Feedback is always appreciated, good, bad or anything in between. Hope you guys enjoyed!**


	3. Change and Conflict

**Remember how this story was supposed to be light-hearted and funny. Yeah, me neither.**

 **Special thanks to my new beta-reader, LordOda!**

 _The sickening stench of burning flesh and blood invaded her nose, her eyes overwhelmed by red and orange as far as the eye could see. Countless fires scattered the horizon, punctuating the otherwise endless night with scenes of chaos and carnage, a battle with no beginning, no end and no reason. The only sounds one could hear was the crunch of bones and organs, the wailing cries of the damned and dying as they were cut down, only to rise again in this endless cycle of death and destruction._

 _Atop a continuously growing mountain of corpses she stood, cutting down all those who dared to stand in her presence, laughing at their feeble attempts to dethrone her. Her blood was fire and anger, burning through her body and lighting her very skin to blazing, one of the many glowing torches on the battlefields of hell. Here the strong ruled, and of all the demonic killers confined to this plane, none could challenge her. Here, she was the most powerful of all._

 _Out of the corner of her eye she saw another worthless maggot coming towards her, and without even turning to face them she shoved her sword straight through their heart. Their anguished cries of pain were music to her ears, the feeling of their blood running down her hand's in rivulets more cleansing then purest water. A cruel grin forming on her face, she turned to look at the wretches' last moments before death once again took them._

 _Only to discover that she had impaled a crying and broken Ruby, her arms outstretched as if she wished to hug her. Her blade pierced through her back, the blood staining it perfectly matching the color of the smaller girl's cloak. Ruby looked up at her, tears of pain forming in her eyes, and through a mouthful of blood she managed to choke out "Why?" before falling limp._

 _Horrified, she knelt to the ground, pulling the now still corpse off her blade and holding it in her arms, tears of regret streaming down her face. Only for the limp body in her arms to jerk alive, scream "Delicious candy!" and sink her impossibly sharp teeth into her flesh, biting and gnawing and sucking and….._

Crescent Rose's eyes shot open as she awoke, her body shooting upright as she took in her surroundings. She was drenched in a cold sweat, relief thrumming through every vein as she realized that it had all been a dream, or rather another nightmare. For a few seconds she simply looked at her hands, devoid of blood and death, before she felt another sharp stab of pain in her left side. She threw off the covers, expecting to find some rabid animal taking a bite out of her side.

Instead she was treated to the hilarious sight of a still alive and apparently ravenous Ruby biting fiercely but sleepily into her flesh, muttering something about giant candy mushrooms. Satisfied that she was alive and well, Crescent laid back against the headboard of their shared bed, wincing slightly as Ruby continued to gnaw into her sides every few seconds. Based on her contented moans and random dream mutterings Crescent's flesh now tasted like cookies.

Experience had taught her that getting Ruby to stop wasn't worth the effort, so her only option was to wait it out. Thankfully the wait was relatively short; normally a few minutes was all it took for dream Ruby to be satisfied with her candy consumption habits. She stopped biting and curled forward until her head was resting on Crescent's lap, a dreamy smile on her face.

Crescent gently brushed a few strands of hair away from Ruby's eyes, the mere sight of the sleeping girl alive and well making her the happiest she had felt since becoming human. The sight of her chest faintly rising and falling, the sensation of Ruby's gentle breathing ghosting across her legs and chest, helped to reassure her that the girl was well and truly alive.

Simply by being there, Ruby helped to erase the remains of the nightmare that still plagued Crescent's mind. Slowly she felt her breathing return to normal, eventually matching the slow, steady breaths that were emanating from Ruby's still sleeping form. Crescent laid on her side, a small smile gracing her lips as Ruby cuddled tightly against her. Now more used to the girl's rampant displays of affection she returned the hug, burying her nose into the smaller girl's hair and inhaling. The mixed and heady scents of strawberries, ash and metal assailed her nose, the combined smell calming her nerves further. Her recent nightmare hadn't been the longest, but it was by far the most disturbing.

For the past month, Crescent had been having dreams of violence and bloodshed, which she attributed to her slowly returning memories of her life in Summer's hands. Her previous wielder had been involved in quite a _lot_ of combat over the years, from small scale duels and bandit raids to two full blown wars.

But it was the first time Ruby had been present in any of her dreams, in a violent capacity at least. She had appeared for a few nights after their training sessions, but that Ruby was terrifying, chasing her through darkened woods and empty fields, murderous intent in blood-red eyes. This Ruby was about as far away as she could get, and Crescent had killed her with her own hands.

A knock at the door ripped Crescent from her thoughts; simultaneously bringing a frown to her face at the thought of Ruby's all too necessary sleep being disturbed. That and it was Farenfrost, so Ruby had closed shop for the day like the rest of the village. Figuring it was probably a drunkard who had wandered up to the wrong house Crescent turned to her side, hoping to enjoy a few more hours of sleep before starting her day.

Only to be jolted awake as another knock came to the door, followed by a rapid series of knocks and a male voice calling out "Hello, is anybody there?"

Now wide awake and angry, Crescent got out of bed and strode purposefully towards the door, intent on giving their uninvited guest a piece of her mind, and if necessary fists.

* * *

 _She bounded along the gold and caramel road, eyes wide at the myriad of sweets that lay before her. Chocolate covered strawberry mountains, giant candy mushrooms, cookie shaped animals as far as the eye could see. It was a sugary wonderland made just for her. Not wasting time she devoured everything in sight, consuming delicacy after delicacy until her stomach was close to bursting._

 _But all was not well, for with a loud crash the idyllic scene came tumbling down around her, delicious goodies threatening to crush her in their multitudes. Considering that there were worse ways to go, she welcomed the onrushing tides of molten chocolate, managing to swallow one last mouthful before she was enveloped by gooey deliciousness._

With a start Ruby woke up. For a few seconds she was vaguely disappointed in her loss of the candy-filled dream, but quickly changed her mind once she realized her current situation. She was lounging beneath the warm blankets that covered her bed, now awake but unwilling to get up and face the chill of the early autumn morning.

Hoping to get access to even more precious heat retention, Ruby tugged at the blankets, trying to wrap herself into a tight cocoon and as conserve as much warmth as possible. But her efforts were foiled by the bed's other occupant, an unexpected but welcome surprise that only increased her desire to be lazy.

She abandoned her blanket hogging efforts and instead burrowed into Crescent's side, enjoying the warmth that was radiating off of her in waves. The older women had been sleeping with Ruby for the past few weeks but it was the first time Crescent wasn't gone by the time Ruby woke up. Normally she would be out training before the first rays of dawn appeared on the horizon, but apparently even master warriors needed a day of rest now and again.

Not that Ruby was complaining. Despite being heavily muscled Crescent made a very comfortable pillow, every muscle in her body made lax by sleep's gentle embrace. Ruby tightened her hold, her head lying in the crook of Crescent's neck as she linked her arms around her shoulders. Her efforts were rewarded by a pair of arms sleepily embracing her. Smiling, Ruby felt her entire body relax as she remembered what day it was, and all the wonderful connotations that that entailed.

Farenfrost was a special day in the never-ending cycles that made up Remnant's calendar. It was the one day that almost anyone could sleep in without worry or fear of being awoken, the one day that laziness was not only allowed but encouraged. It was a day of peace, prayer and relaxation, a day where only the most vital of services were forced to be open.

So Ruby knew that she could enjoy cuddling with Crescent for as long as she wanted, or at least until their bodily needs forced them out of bed. But suddenly the faint sound of thumping against her door assailed Ruby's ears, and a second later Crescent's warmth disappeared as she got up to deal with the annoyance. Ruby remained prone in bed, content in the knowledge that Crescent would deal with the intruder.

The sounds of muffled shouting filled her ears, followed by a rather sharp yelp of pain and a slamming of the door. A series of heavy footfalls preceded Crescent's return to bed, and Ruby once again snuggled into her side.

Eyes still closed, Ruby sleepily asked "Who was that?"

Apparently still angry, Crescent grunted "Some messenger who thought it was a better idea to look at my chest bindings instead of my face while talking to me. He said he had a letter from Beacon or something."

Ruby yawned, burrowing her head deeper as she said "Beacon huh, that's…interesting." A moment later she fully processed what Crescent had said, and shot upward, her eyes opening wide as she shouted "Did you say Beacon?"

Crescent nodded and wordlessly handed her the letter. Tearing it open Ruby regarded its contents, her smile growing wider with every word.

 _Ms. Rose_

 _We have received your rather interestingly worded letter, and if what you claim to have done proves correct, we would be honored to have you as a member of this court. Please present yourself with the rest of the applicants by 10am on Hardaschen, C15 Year 687 in the Atlas Castle Courtyard._

 _Should you arrive early, temporary accommodations have been arranged in the castle for you until the testing period. Should you be approved, more permanent residence will be provided._

 _We look forward to meeting you and your new "friend."_

 _Grand Mage Ozpin_

Ruby was barely able to contain her excitement. The day after she had brought Crescent Rose to life, she had applied to all four kingdoms for a court mage position, and she had finally gotten a reply. Cheering loudly, she shoved the letter into Crescent's hands as she began to dance around the house in joy.

Her life was about to get even more interesting.

* * *

Leaving was easy, surprisingly easy. For most people, leaving home for the first time was hard and accompanied by a sense of longing at best and sadness at worst. Ruby experienced the same issues, but for vastly differing reasons. Most people missed their friends, or family, those still living that they were leaving behind. Ruby was saddened that it had had taken her this long to get out of the village at all. That everything she cared about in life was packed into a single traveling sack, excepting Zwei and Crescent Rose, who were sitting across from her in the wagon, snoring softly.

The only regret Ruby had from leaving was her mother's grave, but either way that issue would solve itself in time. If they rejected her, she would just go back to the village. If they accepted her, her new salary would probably allow her to pay for someone to transport her mother's remains to Atlas. Her house was being watched by the mayor, on the agreement that if she got the court position it would be donated to one of the younger couples in the village. She had gotten her affairs in order far faster than expected, so fast it was almost worrying.

The caravan she was traveling with was fairly large, compromised of over 20 members of a merchant company from Vacuo, several other travelers headed to Atlas like herself, and a solitary old bard who "traveled where the wind took him." Thanks to a simple display of Crescent's rather impressive skills, Ruby had bartered for a private wagon for the both of them and Zwei, on the condition they did not touch any of the merchant's crates. It was an easy enough request to honor; the wagon was plenty large enough to accommodate their little party with room to spare.

Their responsibilities were non-existent, their only job being staying out of the way. Had Ruby been traveling alone, she would have gone out of her mind with boredom. Instead, she spent most of her time chatting with Crescent. Every day she remembered more of Summer, though not all of it was of pleasant, happy times. A fair portion of her memories were of battles, dark and deadly. The clashing of steel against steel, cutting and burning flesh. The pain and suffering wrought by violence, and the endless void of sadness that followed in its wake.

Those memories Ruby treated like medicine. A bitter draught that she had to swallow as fast as possible, pain that tore through her heart, only to be forgotten in an instant, washed away by the cooling relief of the rest of Crescent Rose's memories.

Summer's laugh, gentle and kind as a warm spring breeze. Pieces and parts of songs she sang before and after battle, music light and sweet that somehow eased the pain brought on by carnage. Her kind and caring hands bandaging fellow soldiers, chasing away their suffering and guilt with her charm, her infectious smile. How she brought joy to those around her simply by being herself; not the invincible warrior, the legendary dragon slayer who could not be stopped, but Summer Rose. Kind, caring, and oh so fragile. Because Summer felt pain and guilt, the same as any other warrior. When no one was looking she wept over the bodies of the fallen, whether they were friend or foe.

The lowest point in Crescent's life had come directly after the end of Great War. Summer had lost the entire battalion under her command, only surviving because she was worth more to the enemy alive than dead. She had been forced to watch as her surviving soldiers were executed, their heads mounted and bodies left to be torn apart by animals. Held in captivity for months, she was finally released along with all other prisoners of war after the peace treaty was finally signed.

Inconsolable in her grief, she had retreated to an isolated monastery in the wilds of Vacuo, isolating herself from everyone and everything. The monks, sensing her suffering, had agreed to let her stay on the condition she took a vow of absolute silence while on monastery grounds. She readily agreed, and spent half a year in reclusion, her days comprised of nothing but prayer. From dawn till dusk and well into the night Summer prayed, shedding countless tears of grief and pain as she prayed for the souls of those she had lost. And throughout all that time, Crescent Rose had been at her side. Silent but always present, soaking in her tears and hearing the whispers of her comrade's names.

Summer eventually left, so spent in her grief that tears would no longer flow. Still burdened with a large wound in her heart she had wandered aimlessly searching for her purpose in life. And she found it again, in a depressed father and a young girl in desperate need of a mother.

Crescent had stopped there, since Ruby knew the logical conclusion of where that story went. But she told her dozens of other stories, of places been and life lived. She was present for most of Summer's life, a majority of which occurred before Ruby was even alive. She could give Ruby insight into her mother that no one else could, not even Qrow or Tai-Yang.

So Ruby listened to her words like they were prophecy, drank them in like the sweetest honey. She committed to memory the good and bad, joys and sorrows alike. It deepened her connection with her mother on a level even she couldn't fully understand, and probably never would. And she owed it all to Crescent.

* * *

It was the 10th day of their journey when all hell broke loose. They had stopped at a large clearing for lunch, the presence of a nearby stream making it the prefect spot for some rest. Horses and people alike drank long and deep from the cold, smoothly flowing waters, quenching their thirsts with mountain fed purity. Others took advantage of the break to munch on whatever food could be scrounged up, or just take a breather from the constant movement to admire the surrounding.

That was when the bandits struck, simultaneously rushing the caravan from all direction, sprinting into the clearing from the underbrush in a single wave of bodies. They assumed that their greater numbers, combined with the speed of their assault, would be enough to overwhelm any resistance.

Ruby and Crescent had other ideas. Within moments of seeing the coming assailants, both were on their feet and sprinting straight at their would-be attackers, Ruby wielding her blunted scythe while Crescent rushed in bare handed.

Ruby ran towards the left flank, scythe twirling and slashing as she disarmed and debilitated two of the bandits before they even realized they were being attacked. They fell to the ground, screaming in pain over the bones that Ruby's attacks had broken. Their comrades, wary after seeing two of their own cut down so swiftly, took their time surrounding the red cloaked girl that stood in their midst. Their confidence, still bolstered by the huge difference in numbers, made them underestimate the true danger that was Ruby Rose.

Ruby, for her part, remained in the slowly closing encirclement, her breathing calm and steady. From what she could tell, none of these bandits had any measure of skill, their main advantage being their overwhelming numbers. Since even she would have a hard time fighting so many at once, a pre-emptive strike was once again in order.

Without warning she jumped backward, swinging the scythe in a wide overhead arc before sweeping it low, giving several bandits concussions before knocking them to the ground. Without pause she jumped over their fallen bodies and sprinted towards the next grouping, her scythe once again making short work of her far less skilled opponents.

The rest of the bandits in front of her, their numbers now reduced to perhaps two dozen, had banded together for safety and were now slowly approaching her, weapons drawn and at the ready. Realizing that even she could not hope to face so many and win, Ruby didn't even bother. Instead she merely smiled cheerily at them, sticking her tongue out in mockery before turning in the opposite direction and running away, forcing them to give chase.

On the other side of the battlefield, Crescent was having a far easier time with things. The bandit's weapons, shoddy and rusted over due to a lack of proper maintenance, stung like mosquito bites against her abnormally tough skin. Crescent merely absorbed their blows, fists lashing out at all who came within her range. Arms shattered, legs cracked and screams of pain filled the air as she methodically incapacitated all who stood before her.

Their numbers had been whittled down to the single digits before the bandits wised up enough to realize they could not win. Several of them turned to flee, only to be held in place at an angry shout by who she assumed was their leader. His appearance was unremarkable; a non-descript face with a messy mop of dirty blond hair. But his posture and the ease at which he held his weapon, a hand-and-a-half longsword gleaming in the sunlight, bespoke at least some level of training.

He regarded Crescent with an angry look in his eye as he spat out "Wat, you all gonna run away from a fuc'in woman. Ya fuc'in cowards. I'll show ya how it's done." His men, now reduced to spectators of their boss's suicidal action, watched as he advanced on Crescent, slinging obscenities with every step.

Crescent ignored him, walking forward slowly, casting her thoughts back to similar situations Summer had found herself in. When fighting the leader, a quick finish wasn't enough to fully demoralize his men. He had to be methodically broken down so that their confidence would shatter completely upon his death.

So when he slashed at Crescent, she merely dodged. Weaving around his sword was child's play compared to sparring with Ruby, though to an outside observer it looked like she was barely dodging the sword at all. The bandits cheered on their leader, confidant that he would be able to kill the dark-skinned bitch.

Half focusing on avoiding, she cast the rest of her attention to the battle as a whole. It seemed that her and Ruby's efforts had kept the vast majority of the bandits attention, allowing the caravan guards to finish off the rest. Even as she was fighting Ruby was leading several of the bandits on a merry chase around the camp, none of them fast enough to catch up the red blur they were pursuing. Every now and then she would turn around and quickly attack the lead pursuer, then go right back to running away from the slowly decreasing pack of assailants.

Her opponent had apparently noticed the same thing, because a cruel smile formed on his lips as he said "So that's the other bitch I need to get rid of. Well, afta I kill ya, me and the boys might 'ave a bit o fun with 'er first. I always did like em young."

Crescent heard his words from what sounded like a far off place, rage now boiling through every fiber of her being. He dared to talk about her master that way, dared to dream of defiling her, of hurting and killing her. It was a mistake, the last he was ever going to make.

So when he swung his sword at her next, she didn't bother to dodge. Instead, she grabbed his wrist with her left hand, squeezing hard enough to shatter the bones in her grip, which forced him to drop his sword in pain. In one smooth motion she caught the falling weapon and drew it back, before thrusting it straight into his gut. She twisted the hilt several times in wide circles, insuring that the blade had cleanly cut through the wretch's guts. It would be a quick and very painful death, but still far more merciful then the agony such filth deserved.

She drew the blade out in one smooth motion, and turned to regard the remaining bandits that stood before her in terror. As she advanced towards them she said "Say your prayers wretches. I'm going to wipe out every last one of you."

* * *

Ruby paused for a breath as the last of her assailants fled into the woods, having finally realized that they had lost the fight. The vast majority of their fallen comrades were still on the ground, either dead, unconscious or moaning in pain. She watched as the caravan guards brought out shackles and chains to bind the vast majority of them so they could be brought to a town for trial. Thankfully there was a large city only two days out that they were headed to anyway, so it wouldn't delay them to deal with their prisoners.

Ruby had thought she was done when she heard a voice scream "Please, don't" at the other end of the clearing. She ran towards the sound, and the scene before her made her break out into a dead sprint towards her target.

Crescent Rose stood amongst the fallen, her body and stolen blade covered in gore. A single bandit remained alive, on his knees on the ground, begging for mercy. Crescent stood above him, rage evident in the hard lines on her face. Snorting in contempt at the pathetic coward in front of her, she hefted her sword with both hands, preparing to deliver a brutal overhead slash that would end his miserable life.

Ruby, still not believing what she was witnessing, called out "Crescent, don't do it. Stop." Her voice was thick with desperation and hope that the taller woman would hear her.

Apparently having so, she called out "Why should I? He deserves to die with the rest of them."

Ruby, having reached Crescent's side, panted as she said "It's not right." At the look of disbelief on her face, Ruby continued "Please, don't kill him." Unable to resist her request, Crescent lowered her weapon as she kicked out at the bandit's head, the titanic blow instantly knocking him unconscious. No longer needing it, Crescent threw the sword to the ground and walked off towards the nearby stream, intent on cleaning the blood off her clothes.

Ruby followed, desperate to figure out what had transpired. Walking side by side with the taller woman, she asked "Why were you going to kill him? He had already surrendered."

Crescent, unable to understand why Ruby had stopped her, responded "And a minute ago he was trying to kill me. If I had killed him then, would you have had a problem with it?"

Ruby, not backing down from her argument, said "That doesn't make it right to just kill an unarmed man."

"He would have killed us, and the rest of the caravan, without a moment's hesitation." Crescent replied. "Why should we show him the same mercy?"

"Because it's…"

"Summer executed people Ruby." Crescent interrupted, causing Ruby's eyes to widen in disbelief. This was not one of the things Crescent had told her. "Bandit leaders, kidnappers, slave traders and worse. Scum like what we faced today. Humans consumed by darkness, monsters cloaked in human flesh. She knew that letting them live was too dangerous, that if they ever regained their freedom would only cause further suffering. So she killed them to spare the innocents they might have harmed."

Crescent paused for a moment, allowing her words to sink in, before continuing "So if I'm wrong, does that make your mother wrong too?"

Ruby took her time to respond, her thoughts racing. She didn't want to think of her mother as a bad person, but she also didn't think that what she or Crescent had done was right. Or was it? At that moment, she didn't have an answer.

Crescent, sensing her inner conflict, kneeled down so her head was level with Ruby's, and said "There are things I haven't told you because you didn't need to know them. Not yet, hopefully not ever."

"Then tell me everything" Ruby pleaded, desperate to know what Crescent had been holding back, however unpleasant it was.

"I can't, not right now." She held up a hand, halting Ruby's protests, and explained "You're not ready to hear it, not right now. And there are still large gaps in my memory, things that I need to know before I can give you the whole story. But I promise, when I am ready, I will tell you everything. But only if you truly want to know."

Ruby nodded, not liking the situation. But given a lack of alternatives, she had no choice but to deal with it, so she told Crescent "The second you remember everything, you tell me. Agreed?"

Crescent nodded, then stood and wordlessly they walked the rest of the way to the stream, each deep in thought. Ruby was conflicted, both over the revelations of her mother and of what she had seen today. Because while she could understand Crescent killing off a potential threat, even if she didn't like it, the anger visible on her face told her that there was something else going on. Something Crescent wasn't telling her.

Crescent on the other hand was worried about Ruby, and what the whole truth about her mother would do to her. Ruby viewed Summer as more than just a person. She was her inspiration and goal, a shining paragon of righteousness to look up to. And she did not, _could not_ have flaws, or Ruby's precious memories, her only remaining link to her mother, would be forever tarnished and ruined.

To Ruby, Summer was bathed in a golden light. She was a hero, someone who could do no wrong. And if she wasn't careful, Crescent could ruin that image forever. Because based on what little she did recall, her slowly returning memories were the encroaching darkness.

* * *

 **So I changed the summary, mostly because the original one was…absolutely terrible. I think that maybe, MAYBE, the new one is better. What do you think?**

 **Feedback is always appreciated, good, bad or anything in between. Hope you enjoyed!**


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